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So many things can throw off our regular fitness routine. For me, it was moving to a new small town and working two jobs with around twenty hours of driving a week. Months went by and the motivation slowly slipped away. I kept thinking ‘I will have time later,’ but that time never came because I never created it. In January, it was time to stop making excuses and finally take the plunge back into the fitness world like so many others at the beginning of a new year. The hardest part has been accepting that the closest gym is not a quarter mile down the road and having to make a real effort to get to an actual gym. To start this journey, I broke down my current weekly schedule and found little bits of time to fit in my week’s sweat sessions. The time was always there, it was just waiting to be found. The next step was setting goals, like one race each month of 2017 to keep my motivation up. I’ll be keeping the distances at a gradual increase until my first half marathon in October! Each year, I try to set different themes for my running so it does not become the same, boring repetition. This year, my goals are running my first half marathon, running a race each month and running more trail runs than road races.

Next, it was time to make my move at the new gym. The first day at a new gym can be extremely intimidating, so remember is okay to take a day to get acquainted with where everything is and try out new equipment. When you become comfortable, make the jump and get moving. It doesn’t matter the pace, only the distance. Once your first workout is complete and you are laying there sore and drenched in sweat, soak in that feeling in and remember how good it actually feels to make changes to your body. Don’t get down on yourself because you couldn’t run ten miles or weren’t able to finish five sets like before. Your body will make it back soon enough and will be better than before. Taking it slow and giving your body time to create more muscle is a much better approach than pushing your limits and creating an injury.

Now it’s time to gear up and follow through with the goals that have been set for the year. Every day, I wake up with a stronger body and more determination than before. Keep pushing yourself and don’t let one bad day keep you from your goals. Remember to be flexible and soon enough the changes will come. Any day is a great day to restart your fitness journey.